KINGFISHER, Okla. — An Oklahoma movie theater has reversed course and now says it will show the movie “Lightyear” uninterrupted, after first threatening to fast forward through a scene.
A sign had been posted outside the 89′er Theater in Kingfisher, saying that the new movie would fast forward through a scene that shows a female character kissing her same-sex partner, KOKI reported.
The movie, Pixar’s latest addition to the “Toy Story” franchise, chronicles the story of how Buzz Lightyear began, the Los Angeles Times reported. Before even arriving in theaters, the movie had already made headlines because of the same-sex kiss, which was reportedly cut and then added back in, according to Los Angeles Times.
The owner of the 89′er Theater told KOKI that the theater would show the movie uninterrupted and took down the sign before actually skipping the scene in any showing.
“Lightyear” was banned by government officials in the United Arab Emirates “due to its violation of the country’s media content standards,” NPR reported. The UAE criminalizes same-sex relationships.
The Media Regulatory Office announced that the animated film Lightyear, which is scheduled for release on 16th June, is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards. pic.twitter.com/f3iYwXqs1D
— مكتب تنظيم الإعلام (@uaemro) June 13, 2022
The movie’s director and a producer told the Los Angeles Times that the kiss felt necessary to the story and that, “every other workaround felt just a little bit less than authentic.”
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